The hunt for the fugitive Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, is a police-led operation with the assistance of troops from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Monday.
President Marcos made the remarks during a media interview in Taguig City when asked about why the military was present as Quiboloy turned himself in.
“Well, ganyan naman talaga. Madalas naman mangyari ‘yan na may augmentation sa AFP. But let’s be very clear, this was a police-led operation. It was a police operation. Kung anuman ang involvement ng AFP diyan ay, as I said, augmentation,” the President told reporters.
“As you can imagine all through these past months na, all the intelligence services were involved. Both in the police, both in the AFP, even our civilian intelligence services kasama lahat ‘yan para malaman natin ano ‘yung dapat nating gawin and what are the movements that can be attributed to Apollo Quiboloy, Mr. Quiboloy,” he stressed.
President Marcos said the police initially conducted the search inside the KOJC compound in Davao City before the military came in as an augmentation force to allow the policemen to take some rest.
“But eventually when that was okay, noong pwede na naman ‘yung pulis natin, winidraw (withdraw) na naman natin ‘yung AFP at ang pulis na naman ang nag-frontline. So, that’s a standard procedure dito sa Pilipinas. Madalas naman talaga nating ginagawa ‘yan,” the President explained.
The President also said that over the last three weeks, authorities have been receiving messages and feelers for Quiboloy’s surrender with some conditions. The sect leader turned himself in on Sunday.
“I have to commend our PNP. This is police work at its best. This is what the PNP can do ‘pag led well at maganda ang ating pagkakaunawa at pag-coordinate sa iba’t ibang ahensiya,” the President said in praising the lawmen.
“But this is what policemen do. They go after and enforce court orders and go after those who have been — those who have had cases filed against them. At nakita natin desidido ang ating mga pulis at ang instruction ko sa kanila itong last time, sinabi ko ‘pagpasok natin, huwag na kayong aalis diyan hangga’t makuha na ninyo siya.’ And that’s exactly what they did. Nakita niyo naman,” he said.
Last April, a Pasig City court ordered the arrest of Quiboloy for qualified human trafficking. The Davao City Regional Trial Court also issued a warrant for his arrest for child and sexual abuse.
Quiboloy is also facing charges in the US for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and sex trafficking of children. PND
